My reviews of TV shows and movies

The Vampire Diaries

The CW really hit the motherlode with this most excellent Young Adult show, populated by beautiful people and just about every aesthetically pleasing supernatural being you can think of (no mermaids as yet in the six seasons so far, but hey, it could happen). Mystic Falls, a fictional town somewhere on the eastern seaboard, seems to be a magnet for vampires, werewolves, doppelgängers, witches, etc., but vampires are definitely the main attraction. The story has grown so complicated over the past five seasons that I won’t even try to unravel it, as somebody would no doubt cry “spoilers!” anyway, but I will say the show’s writers have developed a very complex and rich mythology for their world. The core group of characters are extremely finely drawn and the plots are inventive and interesting. But don’t think this is a plot-driven YA soap, because nothing could be further from the truth. The characters are the driving force here and absolutely everything that happens feels authentic to the established personalities of those involved. Yes, of course there is a Big Bad or impending disaster as the thematic villain for each season, but it all happens so organically that you actually begin to believe the characters are real. Nobody is perfect in Mystic Falls and nothing is precisely what it appears to be, which I think is part of the appeal. The dialogue is pure genius and for a drama, the show can be surprisingly funny. Spectacular special effects, excellent current music, gorgeous costumes and constantly evolving characters, this show is most definitely not just for the younger crowd. Endlessly cool and richly entertaining, it is also worth noting that there is an amazing pool of acting talent in this show. My personal favorite is Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), a devil-may-care, somewhat sarcastic and way too cool for everything vampire who does whatever he jolly well pleases and gets more than his fair share of really good lines. – BETHANY

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